


One Day at a Time

by knaps_docx



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Crack, Drabble Collection, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M, Quote Challenge, loose timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2020-07-31 11:08:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knaps_docx/pseuds/knaps_docx
Summary: One day at a time. Even though Haru was a half-fish man, Rin couldn't complain about the man he was dating. There was a new surprise every day, they just weren't always what they seemed and never what they planned.Quote challenge drabbles!





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit a block and this was the only way to keep myself writing. I regret nothing.
> 
> Thank scorose for all the quotes! She's a doll. 
> 
> The first five quotes:  
“Sorry to bother you, but are you going to finish that?”  
“I don’t feel so good.”  
“STOP HIM!”  
“What is that smell?”  
“I...have to go.”

The day was warm, the sun midway in the blue sky. Not even a cloud could be seen. Rin smiled, taking another bite out of his lunch. Sousuke quietly sat across from him minding his business. They had chosen to eat at the restaurant where Rin’s boyfriend worked. As if he couldn’t get enough of seeing Haru on a daily basis, he chose to drag Sousuke to meet him for a midday meal at least once a week. Today was one of those days. Their police work had been slow lately, so Rin decided it would be best to leave the office for some fresh air, which always entailed Haru.

“Sorry to bother you, but are you going to finish that?” Haru asked, stealing some of the food off of Rin’s plate.

“Oi! Haru!” Rin patronized, waving Haru away.

“You were staring at the sky again. I figured you might be done eating.” Haru took another handful of fries, stuffing them into his mouth.

“What’s with you today. You’re hungrier than usual,” Rin pouted, resting his head in the palm of his hand visibly giving up trying to sway him.

Haru shrugged, licking the leftover salt from his fingertips. “I don’t know. It tastes good.”

“Eat mine,” Sousuke offered, pushing the leftovers in front of Haru. He hated seeing them bicker like this. Their love ruined his appetite most days. Today was no exception.

No time was wasted as Haru nibbled his way through the leftovers on Sousuke’s plate. Rin watched him gorge himself sick, at least that’s what he figured. Shaking his head, he sighed. This was rather unusual behavior coming from Haru, but he wouldn’t question it. Not until later when Sousuke wasn’t around. Conscious of how it made his partner feel being around the two of them, Rin thought it best not to discuss their relationship in front of him. Their lunch hour was about up anyway. There wouldn’t be enough time to get into it, despite how silent Haru was half the time.

Brushing a few stray crumbs off of his navy uniform, Sousuke stood. “I’m going to pay the bill. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks, Sousuke,” Rin said, flashing off a toothy smile. “I’ll get the next one.”

His partner disappeared off into the crowd leaving Rin alone with Haru. He eyed the man he had slowly fallen in love with over the last several months. As talented as they come, Haru was an excellent chef, artist, and was told an amazing swimmer. Though Rin had never seen Haru in any form of water, he was sure the rumors were true. His muscular build explained that rather clearly.

“I don’t feel so good.”

Rin’s head whipped to meet Haru’s gaze. “Geez,” he whined watching Haru’s face pale instantly. A greenish blue tinge was already appearing around his hollowed cheeks. “Stay here, I’ll go and get Sousuke and he can drive you home.”

Pushing away from the table, Rin was halfway through the door when he heard a sudden crash. Reeling around, he caught the smallest glimpse of Haru darting down the street. The only evidence left of his time with the two policemen was an overturned chair and a few surrounding customers’ looks of horror.

“STOP HIM!” one of the workers yelled, throwing a finger toward the direction Haru disappeared to. Rin figured he didn’t realize Sousuke was paying for their meals but decided to take matters into his own hands regardless.

“I’m on it!” He called, leaping over the small brick barrier surrounding the outside terrace where they were eating. Grabbing his phone, he called Sousuke, alerting him of Haru’s strange disappearance.

“Meet me there, will you?” Rin asked, breathless from the run. Haru’s apartment wasn’t too far from where they were eating. Sousuke wouldn’t be far behind.

_“You got it,”_ his partner sighed, hanging up before Rin could say anything else.

Rin rounded the corner and flew up the small flight of steps to reach the outside door of Haru’s apartment. He knocked once before trying to doorknob. Finding it unlocked, Rin stepped in.

“Haru?” he called, his voice echoing around the empty space. Haru would’ve retreated home as anyone would when they weren’t feeling good, but it didn’t seem like anyone was there. An unknown smell wafted toward him the moment he passed the threshold. Plugging his nose and furrowing his brows, Rin asked under his breath, “Ugh. What is that smell?”

A splash could be heard from the bathroom. Closing the apartment door tight behind him, Rin approached slowly. Using his foot to slowly open the door, Rin peered around the corner cautiously a little afraid of what he’d find. Naked or not, they hadn’t been dating long enough to try anything. “Haru?” he asked nervously as his eyes fell onto the man in the tub. A man...with a fishtail. The hand he was using to pinch his nose shut fell to his side in shock. The rancid smell was nothing more than the smell of slimy fish water. And now, Rin understood why. Well, processed anyway. The strange anomaly in front of him made no sense whatsoever no matter how he tried to figure it.

“Rin,” Haru said in response, eyes widening with shock. Shaking his head of the excess water dripping across his raven locks. His tail dripped more water onto the floor. “I…” He bit his tongue.

“What in the world?” Rin backed away flabbergasted, shocked beyond comprehension of what his eyes were seeing in front of him. Was he into cosplay? Was this something from a fairytale? Was it _real_? His back hit the opposite wall stopping Rin in his tracks.

“I can explain,” Haru began again, gripping the edge of the tub as he attempted to pull himself out of the water.

“S-Stay back!” Rin warned, gripping the gun in his holster.

“Rin,” Haru replied calmly. Abandoning his attempt to leave the tub, Haru put his hands in the air as a sign of peace. “It’s me. It’s still me. I’m just...I’m not human. I’ve never been human.”

“Not _human_!” Rin spat in utter disbelief. “You have a goddamn _tail_, Haru!”

A blush darkened the tips of Haru’s cheeks as Rin said those words. In response, Haru said, “I was afraid you’d follow me because I wasn’t sure how you’d take it, but I wanted you to know my secret, Rin. It’s temporary, and the transformation only happens occasionally. I’m still me. Nothing’s changed on the inside.”

Rin ran a hand fervently through his bangs that tangled in front of his face. A nervous sweat broke out across his skin. “You...you don’t eat people, do you?” Rin found himself asking, remembering the strange appetite Haru displayed during lunch. What if this was his worst nightmare coming to life? He’d come across so many strange cases over the years as a police officer. Anything was possible.

Chuckling in response, Haru confirmed, “No. I just crave salt. My body needs it when it’s time to transform.”

Nodding as an afterthought, Rin couldn’t take his eyes away from the greenish blue scales covering the lower half of his body. It was the same color Haru’s face had turned right before he sprinted home.

“Oh,” Rin said because he wasn’t sure what else to say. Caught between wanting to touch the strange being in front of him and running away, he stood there unmoving. Stunned into a frozen state.

“Rin? I think I...”

“Yeah?” Rin squeaked, drawn in by Haru’s words.

“I think I love you.”

Every nerve in Rin’s body ignited. Scared for his life, scared for Haru, Rin spat, “I...have to go.” Rin didn’t think twice but tore out of the apartment at inhuman speeds, slamming the door behind him. He didn’t stop when he waved down Sousuke’s patrol car and didn’t say a word the entire trip back to the office. Once safely back at his desk with the strange memory seared into his mind, Rin stared at his workload unable to shift his mind away from the encounter. Dropping his head into his hands, he mumbled, “A half-fish man. I’m in love with a half-fish man.” Which was followed quickly by, “What have I done?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Okay, well...bye!”  
“I only kissed him to shut him up.”  
“It’s right in front of you.”  
“I’m...in love with you.”  
“Someone died and all you can think about is food.”

The fish danced in the water before them. Haru, eyes gleaming, couldn’t take his gaze away from their beautiful scales shining under the fluorescent lights.

“I’m...in love with you,” he whispered, hands pressed eagerly against the glass. 

Rin shook his head but couldn’t hide the wide smile proudly sitting smugly on his lips. Even if he was saying that to the fish and not Rin. His date idea was a good change of pace. After the long hours at the office, it was good to get out and live a little. Even if it was for a few hours. Rin even managed to get Sousuke and Makoto to tag along. They were awkwardly standing a few paces back, next to each other, with their eyes on opposite displays.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Sousuke asked.

“It’s just up ahead,” Rin replied, gesturing with his finger. They had been in the aquarium for about three hours. Sousuke and Makoto were probably at their limit. Without saying more, the four of them started migrating toward the end of the room. Thankfully it was the last display before the exit where the bathroom and gift shop were located.

“I’m getting hungry,” Haru muttered, stopping in his tracks. “Do they sell mackerel here?”

“Mackerel again?” Rin asked, defeated. He felt his bag slipping off his shoulders from deflating so extremely. “Don’t you eat anything else?”

“Where’s the bathroom?” Sousuke asked again, looking more confused now that they were in the crowded hallway near the entrance to the gift shop. Kids from different schools were running around him, marveling at his height. Some were even trying to use him as a jungle gym.

“It’s right in front of you,” Makoto said quietly, gently scratching at his temple in embarrassment as he pointed to the men’s restroom sign not even five feet away.

Rin suddenly felt this was turning into a semi-organized chaos. Wanting to separate himself from the forming crowd, he suggested, “Let’s get something to eat and call it a day.” Grabbing ahold of Haru before he wandered off again, he finished by saying, “I know a place.”

With little argument once Sousuke returned, the four men were quick on their way. Knowing not to get in the way of Haru and his food, Rin rushed them to the small cafe he knew served some of Haru’s favorite mackerel. Before long, they were seated at a small table outside and were waiting patiently for their lunch to be served.

Sousuke’s phone started ringing, interrupting their small talk. He answered promptly. After a few mumbles and verbal okays, he hung up and turned to Rin. All eyes fell on him as he said, “There’s been a murder. Seijuro is calling us in.”

“What? Now?” Rin sounded offended, his stomach growling incessantly. “Can’t we eat first?”

“Someone died and all you can think about is food. Figures.” Sousuke shook his head in disappointment. “You’ve been spending too much time with Haru.”

“Have not,” Rin spat, his face turning red.

Sousuke sat back in his chair as he rolled his eyes dramatically. “Give me a break.”

“Please don’t fight,” Makoto pleaded quietly, raising his hands as a sign of defeat.

“What’s with the attitude? It’s not like you can say anything. You don’t have a boyfriend,” Rin shot, leaning over the table to try and get into Sousuke’s face. A mischievous smile threatened his lips.

The others went silent, eyes shifting between Sousuke and Rin. And suddenly, Sousuke leaned forward, grabbed Makoto by the cheeks, and planted a kiss on his lips.

Rin practically jumped into the air. Makoto’s face was instantly maroon in color, threatening the same shade as Rin’s hair. Sousuke leaned back against his chair and turned back to Rin defiantly with a complacent smile on his face. “There. Happy now?”

“Jesus Christ,” Rin spat, running his hands through his hair to get it away from his face. Dropping his elbows against the table he stared at the woodgrain contemplating every life choice he made up until that point.

“Now, let’s go,” Sousuke said again. “We have an investigation to attend.”

“S-Sousuke- ” Makoto spat, gripping his arm like a lost puppy.

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere until you explain what just happened,” Rin groaned, the shock still apparent on his face. But he wasn’t about to let Sousuke off that easily.

“I only kissed him to shut him up,” Sousuke said to Makoto, crossing his arms over his chest. Then to Rin, “We have to go.”

“Okay, well...bye!” Makoto forced all too politely, aggressively scooting his chair away from the table and stumbling out of the bricked in patio area. Rin and Sousuke stared at him as he bumped into a server, spilling food all over another table before tripping over a chair two paces after that.

“Great,” Rin groaned. “Look what you did. You broke him.”

Sousuke’s eyebrow twitched, unable to tear his eyes away from the train wreck called Makoto Tachibana as he plowed his way to the street. “I should apologize. That came out wrong,” he said at last, getting to his feet and running after him. Rin watched him go, apologizing to the server on Makoto’s behalf before disappearing around the corner. Shaking his head, he turned back to Haru whose attention was drawn in the complete opposite direction.

“Haru?” Rin asked, confused as to why he had no interest in once in a lifetime drama unfolding in front of them.

“Mackerel,” was all he said as their food was placed on the table.

Sighing, Rin dropped his head audibly against the table. He was never planning another double date again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not bad at it, I just don’t ever win.”  
“I’m an adult!”  
“I guess the surprise party is no longer a surprise.”  
“Do you have a spare quarter?”  
“Is it that obvious?”

They pulled into the parking lot at the arcade, Rin’s eyes scanning the empty lot. “Are you sure this is what time it started?”

Haru opened the car door readily without responding. Unsure what that meant, Rin tried to remember their conversation that morning. Haru had told him about the party earlier, but even this seemed very strange.

~

“Would you like to be my plus one for Nagisa’s surprise birthday party?” Haru asked him as they finished cleaning up the dishes after breakfast. He had his hands deep in sudsy water as Rin was drying. “It’s tonight at the local arcade. Food and drinks provided. Rei has spent months perfecting it to the T.”

Rin racked his brain. He knew he’d heard Haru mention those names before but couldn’t remember whose face belonged to who. Regardless, it sounded like a fun time and in a way, it was Haru showing off their status as a couple to his friends. A large step in a direction Rin was rather pleased with.

“Sure, I think that would be fun!” Rin smiled kissing Haru on the cheek. “What time?”

“Six.”

~

The memory was clear, but upon reaching the arcade, there seemed to be a noticeable absence of invitees. Quick to follow Haru, they entered the small, graffitied building and immediately ran into Rei and Nagisa. They were the only four within the building’s dark walls.

“Oi! Haru!” Nagisa called, waving his hand wildly in the air to get their attention. “You must be Rin! Nice to meet you!”

“Nagisa?” Rin asked, hoping his guess was right. Haru nodded this time, approaching the table they were sitting at. Nagisa gripped Rin’s hand and shook it violently.

“It’s a failure. All of it…” Rei distressed, dramatically throwing his head into his hands. “You were supposed to be here before Nagisa showed up, and here he was, arriving before I could even get through the doors.”

“I guess the surprise party is no longer a surprise,” Rin said awkwardly, unsure how to take Haru’s friends. Judging by that response, the four of them were the only ones invited. How strange.

“Aw, it’s okay, Rei. We’re going to have so much fun tonight!” Nagisa reassured his friend, patting him on the back.

“We should cancel and reschedule. This is so _wrong_,” Rei continued.

“Rei,” Haru began, instantly pulling his attention, “Surprise or not, this is going to be fun.”

“Y-Yes of course,” Rei stuttered in reply. He pushed himself away from the table, resituated his glasses on his nose, and threw a finger into the air. “And by my intricate planning, this is going to be the best ruined-surprise birthday party of the year.”

Rin sighed. “These are your friends?” he asked Haru in a tone too low for them to hear.

Haru smiled fondly before turning to him. A playful smile curling his lips. “Want to play a game?”

It came across a near threat in Rin’s eyes. He eagerly replied, “You’re on.”

Finding the nearest two player game, Haru dug in his pocket for a few quarters. He paused after a few seconds before turning to Rin with his hand outstretched with one piece of change in his palm. “Do you have a spare quarter?”

Sighing at the impossibility of Haru being prepared for anything, Rin dug into his pockets and retrieved three quarters. Apparently neither of them was all that prepared for a night at the arcade. It was better than none, however, they’d just have to visit the ATM after two games. Sighing, Rin added, “There, now we have enough for me to beat you twice.”

“In your dreams, lover boy,” Haru replied. There was an unnerving calmness in his voice that shook Rin just enough to make him lose his edge during their first game.

“Not fair,” Rin exclaimed, elbowing Haru playfully when the scores glowed across the screen. It stung because he hated to lose, but he figured he’d only lost because of Haru’s name calling. Inserting another two quarters, he said, “I’m going to get you this time.”

Haru rolled his eyes with a smile. Gripping the analog stick with such force, Rin’s knuckles blanched white. He wasn’t going to lose. Not again. But sure enough, as soon as they reached the final stages of the game, he found himself losing again. It wasn’t a trick of the mind, but rather his lack of skills.

“You’re bad at this game. Want to play another?” Haru suggested, stepping away from the game. They could hear Nagisa and Rei arguing over something at the counter where you exchanged tickets for prizes.

“I’m an adult!” Nagisa insisted, throwing his arms in the air and dropping them to his sides where he began to pout.

“Not when you’re acting like that,” Rei replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not giving you my tickets unless you ask nicely.”

Rin turned back to Haru shaking his head. In all honesty, those two were very interesting characters that fit each other perfectly. He wondered if Haru and himself were ever viewed the same by outside eyes. Not wanting to pick a fight, Rin replied to Haru’s salty comment nicely, or as nicely as he could though he really felt defeated, “I’m not bad at it, I just don’t ever win.”

Something sparkled in Haru’s eyes. “You’re acting like such an adult, Rin.”

“Hey!” he shot back, embarrassment igniting his own face. “That’s not a nice compliment.”

“Be right back,” Haru said, turning for the bathroom and ignoring his comment. For a few moments, Rin wondered if he’d be okay in there alone. What if something happened and he transformed into a half-fish man? Looking around, the arcade was fairly empty. His friends probably knew of his peculiar issue. Sighing, Rin thought it best not to suffocate him and joined Nagisa and Rei instead.

“Rin!” Nagisa called, throwing a finger toward Rei. “Tell him I’m an adult.”

“Uh,” Rin stuttered, unsure what to say once he realized they were still arguing.

“Don’t bother, I know he’s an adult but he’s not acting like one.” Rei turned his head away, pushing his red rimmed glasses up his nose. “Say please, Nagisa.”

Nagisa pouted for a few seconds before turning back to Rin. “Hey, you really love Haru, don’t you?”

Rin faltered again, the blush from earlier immediately returning. “Is it that obvious?”

Nagisa and Rei began to laugh, worrying Rin. Half chuckling in a panicked sort of way, Rin rubbed the back of his head nervously. How could they tell? They hadn’t even been at the arcade for more than thirty minutes and most of that time was spent away from them. Eying them suspiciously, he waited for a response.

“Don’t worry, we won’t tell him,” Nagisa said, winking. However, there was a glisten in his eyes that told a different story. Rin bit his cheek suppressing an embarrassed outburst. Only time would tell if that was good or bad, but he crossed is fingers hoping it was for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Are you kidding me?”  
“I love ice cream.”  
“Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep here?”  
“Well that’s awfully childish.”  
“You look familiar.”

A soft nudge on Rin’s shoulder stirred him from his sleep. Blinking away the tiredness, he turned to see why he was being forced awake at such an early hour. “Haru?” he croaked. His voice was just as unhappy to be awake as his body.

“I want ice cream.”

“Are you kidding me? Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep here?” Rin rolled back over, throwing a pillow over his head. This wasn’t happening. It was too early.

“Rin,” Haru begged, persistently pushing Rin’s shoulder. He pulled at the spare pillow covering Rin’s head and kissed his neck just below his ear. “Please?”

“Can’t you wait until morning?” Rin grumbled, eyeing the time. The bright display shining on his digital clock only dampened his already sour mood.

“No.”

Rin pulled himself from the sheets fully directing his attention on Haru. “Well that’s awfully childish.” Pausing as he noticed Haru’s face drop, he sighed and started again. “I didn’t know you liked ice cream that much.”

Haru stared at Rin and with upmost sincerity, he replied, “I love ice cream.”

Unsure how to take Haru at that moment, Rin thought it best to follow along with his strange urges. As far as he knew, this could’ve been some bizarre half-fish man tendency. Even so, he deeply cared for Haru and getting him ice cream in the middle of the night was the least he could do. Other than losing a little sleep, it wasn’t too terribly strenuous. He wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep too readily anyway. Especially after that chaste kiss.

Groggily tossing the sheets so he could escape the warmth, he pushed Haru to the door, piled into his car, and drove to an all-night store he was certain sold ice cream. Thankfully, it was only a four minute drive from his apartment. It wasn’t long before they were nudging open the door to satisfy Haru’s midnight craving. The bell chimed with their arrival. The pink haired, far too alert for this hour, clerk greeted them with a cheery, “Welcome! If you need help finding anything, please let me know!”

Haru froze in his tracks, eyes hovering on the clerk. “You look familiar.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You’re pregnant?”  
“He drives a white car.”  
“It’s just fish.”  
“Stop while you’re ahead.”  
“What the fuck.”

The warning replayed back again, it’s ominous echo stirring unrest across the three men. “Stop while you’re ahead,” it said, over and over again until Seijuro finally slammed his pointer finger against the pause button.

Sousuke pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do we know about our witness?”

“Kisumi Shigino. Twenty four. He works at a twenty four hour local convenience store. Pink hair. Bubbly personality. He drives a white car.” Rin had repeated those same six facts about ten times in the last two hours. He was tired, they were all tired, but still, they were unsure how to explain the strange crime. As Haru and Rin were pulling away from their small, late night ice cream detour, the store was broken into. The only thing was stolen was a bottle of chloroform. Kisumi, who happened to be the only employee in the store at the time, described the perpetrator to be a short, blond haired gentleman in his early twenties wearing dark clothing and a kabuki mask. He didn’t have a weapon and didn’t threaten the clerk. He just took the bottle and ran, yelling, “Stop while you’re ahead.”

It reminded Rin a lot of Haru’s friend, Nagisa. Rin had only met him once, at his birthday party no less. But he was in no way, shape, or form able to pull off a heist like this. So, normally, this would lead to watching the security footage to be able to check back the facts taken by the sole witness. However, there was a glitch in the tape and nothing that night had been recorded except for the sound. The level of unplanned difficulty resulting in this dilemma had Seijuro pissed. He slammed his hand on a nearby desk, hissing, “What the fuck.”

Of course, they were all confused. Did they happen to stumble upon something more than they knew? Or was this just a strange coincidence chalked up to some drunk shenanigans? Rin squeezed his eyes shut.

“I think it would be best to go home and revisit this tomorrow,” Sousuke suggested, dropping a hand on Seijuro’s shoulder. Upon a quick agreement, they all parted ways. Rin didn’t live too far away from the station. Knowing Haru would be waiting for him made the difficulties of the last several hours seemingly melt away.

Sticking his key into the lock, Rin opened his door and found Haru sitting at the kitchen table in the dark. At least four empty plates were scattered in front of him. When Rin flipped on the light, he halted in his tracks, horrified at the sight in front of him.

Haru paused, pulling his chopsticks from his lips, mumbling, “Yo-oop-eant.”

“What?” Rin asked, his face turning ashen. He could’ve sworn he heard… “You’re pregnant?” The words slipped off his lips before he realized. Here sat Haru, a half-fish man, who drug him out in the middle of the night to get ice cream, and upon returning home two hours later, he’s found gorging himself with more food. Rin figured it was plausible. Those were signs of pregnancy. At least that’s what he’s always read. Even at the restaurant weeks ago, he was all about his food, even finishing Sousuke’s meal. “Haru– ” Rin began, concern making him sick.

Haru swallowed, “You look _pleasant_.”

An awkward silence spread between them.

“Oh,” Rin spat, his face burning with embarrassment. As far as he knew, half-fish men could get pregnant. Or was that seahorses? Shaking his head to rid himself of the useless thoughts, he ran a hand through his hair and stared at Haru. “Long night. What in the hell are you eating?”

“Relax,” Haru reassured him. “It’s just fish.”

“It’s just fish. Do you realize you’re half fish? That makes you a cannibal.”

Haru stared at him, his blue eyes never wavering from Rin’s face. An awkward silence spread between them as the words finally had a moment to settle. Why did he even care that Haru was eating at five in the morning? It wasn’t like he was gaining weight, which was another thing that pissed Rin off. The strange physiological state of a half-fish man was too perplexing. There was so much Rin didn’t know, but now the lack of knowledge seemed to agitate him more now that he finally took notice.

Haru sighed, “Go to bed. You’re acting strange.”

“I’m acting strange?! Honestly, if I didn’t know better– ”” Rin spat before biting his tongue, swiftly cutting himself off. Resisting every urge to slap his forehead from the stupidity or yell at Haru again, Rin turned around, flipped off the light leaving Haru in the dark just as he found him, and went straight to bed without saying another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Will probably add to this depending on how the block goes. lol *dies*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Your eyes...are smoldering."  
“Just try to relax.”  
“Is that an ostrich?”  
“I will prove it to you.”  
“Are you cold?”

Rin followed behind Haru, their hands interlocked. Haru seemed far too preoccupied with the growing crowd to notice Rin’s slight distraction. He tried to push the negative feeling away for Haru’s sake if anything, but they still inevitably creeped back into his subconscious.

They’d decided to take a trip to the zoo. Rin had won free tickets through his work. As if the aquarium wasn’t enough, now Haru thought it was a good idea to see the land animals. Eyes sparking with a strange ounce of wonder Rin couldn’t understand, he agreed to let Haru join him despite the growing knot in his stomach. If it went as well as their aquarium double date...well, he hoped it went better than that. However, the day was still young.

After meandering their way through the endless stationed ropes to the front of the line, Rin handed the clerk their tickets and there was no turning back. The courtyard it’d opened up to was vast and filled with excited tourists bustling around to each exhibit entrance. If Rin didn’t fully believe the entire experience was similar to moving cattle, he was convinced now. Sucking in the sigh nearly escaping his lips, Rin gritted his teeth and followed Haru as he guided them both toward the African safari exhibit.

They crossed through an immense giraffe-print archway that drew both their gazes and soon large barred barriers towered on each side of the sidewalk. Haru went to the enclosure on their right, eyes searching the grassy exhibit. Rin followed his gaze questionably.

“Is that an ostrich?”

Haru’s confused expression met Rin’s. And just like that, the knot in Rin’s stomach dissipated into nothing. Fighting a smile, Rin found the corners of his lips upturning rapidly. Chuckling lightly, Rin asked, “What do you mean, ‘is that an ostrich?’ Do you not like them?”

Not gracing the question with a reply, Haru’s intense stare was directed far into the distance aimed directly at the flightless bird. A few giraffes crossed their line of sight and a few elephants were off in the distance. But Haru’s gaze didn’t waiver.

“Think I can transform into another animal if I think about it hard enough?”

The seriousness in his tone was outstanding.

Rin held back a laugh. “What?”

Their eyes met. “Do you think I can transform into another animal if I think about it hard enough?”

“Is that how you transform into a half-fish man?”

“No?” He sounded offended. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Shaking his head, Rin laughed. “Never mind. Come on. I want to see more than the African safari.”

Haru didn’t argue and followed Rin without saying another word. As they traveled through the rest of the exhibit at a leisurely pace, peeking into each enclosure, their gazes kept meeting, but no words were exchanged. The knot in Rin’s stomach formed into something violent.

“How about we check out the Poles Exhibit next?” Rin suggested as they passed through the giraffe-print archway once more.

“I think I can do it.”

“What?” Rin asked, Haru’s question coming across rather candid.

“I think I can turn into something else. I will prove it to you.”

Panic welling inside as the immediate thought of Haru exposing himself to thousands of people, Rin spat, “H-How about we try tonight?” For all he knew, Haru could turn into anything if he wanted. He already possessed some strange power that turned half his body into a fish. And though that reasoning wasn’t fully described well by Haru, this felt like a stretch. However, as preposterous at it sounded, it wasn’t a far outcry. This could very easily fit within the boundaries of what Rin would describe as ‘normal’ when it came to Haruka Nanase. The best he could do was delay the inevitable until they were well out of sight from the all-seeing public eye. And then, he’d feel more comfortable knowing more of the truth.

The smallest crease crept onto Haru’s face between his eyebrows. In an accusatory tone, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you afraid I would try it now? Here?”

“I don't know,” Rin quipped, his face burning with embarrassment. His initial gut reaction wouldn't be an excuse enough to explain why he reacted the way he did - compromising the trust built between them.

“Just try to relax,” Haru said, turning his gaze away as his cheeks heated to a rosy pink. “Even I wouldn’t be that rash.”

With Rin’s heart rate finally returning to normal as they entered the chilled tundra of the Pole’s Exhibit, Haru added, “I think I can, though.“ Happy he wasn’t about to expose himself, Rin gladly went along with the conversation, a little curious as to why he thought it was possible. The back and forth banter of them sharing possible scenarios continued throughout the entire exhibit without a concrete solution to their quandary unless it was tested. As they reached the end, Rin had noticed Haru had his hands crossed across his body.

“Are you cold? Do you want to go home?”

“What?” he asked, turned to Rin as his expression relaxed. 

“Do you want to go home?” Rin asked again, his curiosity masking the fear still tangled in his stomach. At this point, he had to know if Haru could do it. And if he could, what sort of animal he’d choose to transform into.

Haru’s shimmering eyes looked like moving water. No further words were said. They finished going through the exhibit, grabbed some salty food for Haru, and left for home. The entire trip back was relatively silent. There was a slight hum in the air as the anticipation seemingly vibrated between them. Rin clutched the wheel of his car with a white-knuckled grip. If Haru could transform into another animal, the discovery would be monumental. Naturally he’d keep it secret, but to be able to share an experience like this with Haru and Haru alone...it was something he couldn’t quite describe, but he was overjoyed for the chance. 

After a forty minute drive, they arrived at Rin’s apartment they now shared. Rin parked his car on the street and quickly ushered Haru inside. Closing and locking the door behind them, Rin turned toward Haru with an expectant look in his eyes.

“So, how is this going to work?”

Haru smirked before he began taking his clothes off. Rin’s cheeks flushed but he didn’t turn away. Haru had sacrificed far too many articles of clothing over the length of time they had been dating. His transformation didn’t always come when he chose, and it hardly ever was patient enough for him to save anything. Rin couldn’t count on one hand the amount of times he had to clean up shredded pants or a partially ripped shirt. As Haru had described, his scales were impossibly sharp if anything ran against the grain. In comparison, they were unbelievably smooth if Rin ran his hand from the top of Haru’s fish tail to the bottom. It was part of what Rin found rather cool about his supernatural power, and it would be that much more impressive if he could manage to transform into something else.

Stark naked, Haru turned his gaze toward Rin. “Here goes nothing,” Haru said, closing his eyes and scrunching his expression.

Rin watched as his infamous fish tail erupted from his skin, scale by agonizing scale. It cut through his flesh leaving nothing but a shimmering unit of flesh from Haru’s hips to the tip of his tail. Slightly disappointed, Rin’s shoulders sagged.

Haru opened his eyes slowly. They trailed along his changed body from top to bottom.

“I really thought it would work,” Rin sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What are you saying?”

Rin looked quizzically at the half-fish man. “What are _you _saying?”

“Can’t you see the difference?”

Shaking his head knowing there was no variation between this form and his normal half-fish man transformation, Rin breathed an exasperated, “It’s the same, Haru.”

“No, it’s not,” Haru said defiantly. “I’m obviously a dolphin, which, by the way, I was trying to turn into.”

“Haru, you’re exactly the same,” Rin spat, exasperated. “Look at you.”

“I have. I’m a dolphin,” he replied sternly.

Shaking his head out of frustration, Rin turned to leave.

“Wait, Rin,” Haru called. “Are you trying to transform too? Your eyes...are smoldering.”

Clicking his tongue, Rin stormed out of the room without another word.


End file.
